The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-12

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we cannot accept this statement, he says
somewhcre-wc quote from memory we
may MS well give up concerning ourselves
with historical inquiry at all. II Is gem
orally believed, too, that he presents his
novel theories buntly and arbitrarily,
without informing the reader OF the
authority upon which they rest or the rca-
sons for his changes OF opinion. II is true
they are 50 presented in his history; but
in his numerous essays and monographs co.
the most important OF which have been
collected in volume, under the title,
"Romische fonChungpn'--d detailed and
substantial arguments can be found by
those who choose 10 study the subject.
His readers may at any rate be assured
that even his most radical and startling
positions rest upon solid foundations. We
may not accept them all, but much OF
the largest part Of them appear to us es-
tahlished beyond question.
Among the new views advanced In the
fourth edition, along with the increased
emphasis placed upon the aristocratiC
features of the primitive constitution
Momm>cn aSSaciating in this himself dis.
tinctly with the school Of Ruhiuol are the
following The admission OF plcbcians To the
Upuhlic, bat with inferior powers. so that
nom TINS time the pairician senators
formed. n it we've, a distinc, body with
sp'cial powers the admission oi the
plehians 20 the same date tothC curiu', and
their tribal organization, on the basis OF
property INA land. by the publilian law OF
AL. This las, event lac p'gards Us the
turning point IN their history, since now,
ior the mn time, they formed coherent,
compact bplv IN which their natural lead
cr,, the rich rural plcbUians, oN'upied VI
controlling place. From this time hcgiu
their political ASPIRATIONS and their contest
Tor political equality. All oi these views,
familiar 90 students Of the completed
work, Src uu, found, or arr found only in
thc germ, IN the earlier editions
Tho mo~i important ieaiun Of Momm.
scn's his'"f, oi tlrc Early republic is not, i,
i true. a novel VI he ionrth edition, al
though II D. more fully worked oui then
than clscvhcrv. II l., however, a siumb'
ling block 10 many, even al the present
lay, and iof this rcas1n, believing IL, a. We
DO, 90 rcsi upon . mpst profound insight
into the character OF carly society and
early Institutions, We viii draw special a..
iontion 90 b. Tho early contests OF III,
Roman republic wcrc not. he Saws. pohii.
cal, between pairicians and plcbcians, hui
~orial, between rich and poor The pie
hrinns had. a. we have soCn, obtained
what, ai ihc time. were considerable poliii
cal privileges bat they Injured o. the h,ne
10 only oi the rich and influential among
them. But the poor. who were all pie.
heians. wcre exposed o. great hardship.
and abuse hy rcusm Of the severe mill
tary requirements and the harsh law. u
debit The tihunaic WIS Therefore de-
signed not to protect plrheians aaainsi ~.
iririuns bui pnUr citizens against ia,
ahu~cr ni mlgi,tpriai power Tor Il j. well
known thai pafucans who needed 10. ~
well us plrhpians. could call upon the
tribune. Ion assistance. II was not until
fhr Puhlilian law had r.orranigcd the plc-
heiuir upon more arisiocratic basis that
% ocrurr'l "a the nch plcbcians 10 make
81 d an agency 10 obtain complete political
equality.
ln p..ari o. the later history orthc ~
public Mpmin-cn l. accusd. perhaps
rightly. ui leaving too much 10 the SIDE 81
power 81 wUrshiping surcc~s IL j. GER
taia ihat hc las gr'at, perhaps over
Wcening. rrpcct iof efficiency, his hearii.
,st contempt aud condemnation are giNCn
Ia weak sud inefficient governments. hut
hr has q hearty inspect. too. for irc insii-
iutiors ~ they be- genuine and rcally
free. What he shows conUlusvelv, in the
last century 1T the republic, u that there
was ~ ir'c institution. left that IL was a
choice between different forums Of despOt-
ism. The question OF sympathy OF ap-
proval hardly enters into consideration
II h ia" dclincation VI an historical event
The republic fell because II could no long.
or stand aud the cmpirr succeeded % Il a.
natural and necessary outgrUwth VI the
situation.
The original publication. in three vol.
umcs, reached the TALL oi the Roman ~.
public. by the battle Of 1hap-us, In u. G.
a.. Since tia, time n period of thirty ~ 4
wears the author has been assidu0usly
| gathering materials and making prepare.
tionS Tot IT, continuation, In the history n
the empire II l. true. thc first ten ycau
Of this period were gwen in cool part q
/ revising the original work aud bringing II
| a. perfection. hut even In those years 10
| part, aud since then chiefly, his work ha,
lain IN the field IT the empire in the col
lection and editing oi inscriptions, IL
countless special articles end trcaiiscs. an,
IN the carclul analysis OF IT, fundamental
| principles of gpycrnment For Il u plaii
that even IN the most important singh
| publication IT thcse years the "~taai-
wcht" his chief interest Was IN the vol
/ unle which traicd 1T the empire. Mhel
that was oil his hands hc appears a. hav
| ceased a. give attention IA thr subject: q
lca-i W. see No signs OF the important yo
umc on thc senate and the as~cmblic'
ton b. nothing new to him. Ills clflic'
trratisc. on the Roman ifihes. was q stud
ui the most fundamental administrative ~
,iiiuiiun ui the rcpuhlic. his work on III
~puth-lialinu dialects gave him matcria
inr the oihnology IT Italy. his tr'ati-c a
Roman cuin- helped olurilaic a, once III
economic history and the municipal -ystc
If thu republic
Momm,on is evidently approaching q
term uf his labor. The insialmcut ui Il
D history Of the empire Published In 1881
volume y. known Ia the translation
| Tho Provinces ui the Roman Empire
, a sun sign that the history of the cmpi
T. itself l. SURF Ia follow. Aud In this wur
) standing, ~ Il docs, nominally ~ a fra
mcnt, but substantially ~ an indcpcndc
i treatise, the great historian has again doi
u. u work which win not need Ia hc doi
b over His treatment IT the empire ~
y novel aud original ~ that oi the Wpuhli
% Tor lac makes PLAIN, what NO one ~
b clearly bclurc him, that the proyinc
Wcrc not q mcrc appyndarr ~ the city, h
Il wcr tie empire herself With the orpa
n ilitiun ul the new government, the histo
j. Of Rome ends and that OF the empire 4
81 gius We call Il the Roman empire, b
Il IL WIS Ia truth the empire Of the Worl
J. Rome. ium hying u ciiy.tcpublic, sinks
If, degrees 10 thr rank of municipality
4 ways supreme Ia dignity, always the NJ
~ Of cmpirr. but no longer thc cmpiw itsc